10 Secrets About “App Empires” And Why It Matters To Digital Marketers

Just about every day, someone tells me about their amazing app idea.It’s always something that will blow up into something huge, getting millions of users, and obviously, earning millions of dollars.All with just word-of-mouth marketing.

If you think about it, it makes sense.I mean, apps are MASSIVE right now with no signs of slowing down.There are billions of dollars being made in the app store every year, so obviously people are trying their hardest to find an app idea to stake their claim in this modern-day gold rush.

I'm a positive person, so I don’t tell them what lies in front of them, how they need to start or really do anything except smile and tell them excitedly to “SWEET!GET IT DONE!”

But believe me — it is hard not to tell them the truth about building apps right then and there.

Funny enough, I used to tell people the truth up front, but I stopped.I had to…

People got mad at me!

They looked at me like I was crazy, rolling their eyes saying I was wrong.

(Seriously, like I don’t do this stuff EVERY DAMN DAY!)

I get it though…. It is SO EASY to have the big app idea – tell everyone about it, get all excited, join a Facebook group for startup CEO’s and sit on that idea like it is money in the bank earning interest for you.

If only it were that simple….

Now, I’m not saying “It’s too hard, don’t do it.”Nor am I saying “It’s so easy!You can do it 100% by yourself in like 2 hours.”

My stance is a bit more like:“It takes work, but anyone can do it.You just need someone to show you how.”

And do you know who has the best chance of success?

I always believe that digital marketers, and especially affiliate marketers, are the likely group to absolutely kick ass in the app game.

But before you begin your journey to making it big in the app game, there are some “industry secrets” that you should know.

1. There Are No Such Things As “Overnight Successes”

So this is partially true.Yes, I’m sure you can find an example of something that literally became the biggest thing ever in just one day, but usually even things deemed “overnight successes” take a bit of time to start.

This is actually a hidden benefit in the app game!

Running a business as big as Facebook or Snapchat does’t just happen when you click “launch” on your app.

Your tech has to be solid – able to withstand millions of users 24/7/365.

Your legal has to be in place – more people = more risk exposure.

Customer support needs to be ironed out or you will be scrambling to keep people happy.

Can we give a quick shout-out to our friend cash on hand???You will likely need to have a couple of bucks in the bank to keep it all running smoothly.

In reality, when things grow over time – it gives you a chance to spot and fix problems in your tech / process / everything before it gets too many eyes on it.This is much easier and gives you a much better chance at keeping your success when you get it.

2. Most Apps Are Not As Big As Facebook

And I can’t overstate this enough:THAT IS A GOOD THING!

Most successful apps aren’t making millions or billions.But that doesn’t mean they aren’t making some serious bank.

This is like having a mentor hold your hand the whole way through.It will make things much easier.

9. Perfection Is A Myth That Will Crush You

There is no such thing as perfection in technology.There is always some bug that will pop up.Some feature that has been left out.SOMETHING that annoys you.

Something that embarrasses you.

Don’t worry about it.That is the nature of technology — and no one cares about your app like you do.They care about it solving a problem that they have.As long as you solve that problem, people will live with missing features or bugs.We all do it every day with products we swear by.

10. You Don't Need To Raise Any Money To Start

You obviously need money to start, but not much.Not much at all.

Sure, it would be just lovely to have $500k in the bank to start your life as an app CEO, but that’s not usually the reality.To get started, you need much less.

It really boils down to summing up the rest of the rules:

You don’t need to have your master plan completely built out to start, just enough that your target customers will love it.

Growing slowly is good.You can tweak and perfect things, all while earning money, until you decide everything is ready for the big launch.

Small niche apps are just like small niche products.They can be low maintenance and make you decent money.Put a few of them together, and you are on to something big.

Have a growth strategy that includes more than posting on your twitter feed.

Steve Eakin

Steve Eakin is an entrepreneur, startup CTO, technical advisor and JKD black belt. You can check out his latest work at startupblackbelt.com. If you want to build an app, but need a hand getting started, check out his FREE MINI-COURSE to help!

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